Work kicks off on inland container depot at Kadakola

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The Times Of India18th October, 2019 05:30 IST

Mysuru: After protracted discussions with local farmers of Kadakola failed to resolve the deadlock with the Container Corporation of India Ltd, and work on the Rs 100 crore project was stalled for more than a year, the wheels for setting up the inland container depot in the district finally got rolling on Thursday. Nearly 200 police personnel were present at the site to prevent untoward incidents. Work on the depot had been hanging fire for more than a year owing to unrelenting opposition by the discontented farmers.

The local peasants had sought permanent jobs at the depot for a member in their family. However, the corporation deemed such a demand unfeasible, following which the district administration and Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board proposed to provide employment for youngsters in companies in Nanjangud and other hubs in the vicinity.

Group general manager for Container Corporation of India Anup Dayanand said that, in the first phase of the project they would secure the 55 acres acquired for the project by erecting a solid fence. “Work on setting up the depot per se will start once we complete the tender process. Agitation by the farmers has compelled us to invite a fresh tender since the agreement we had signed with a contractor earlier is now stuck in arbitration. Once work on the depot commences, we are confident of the project being completed before the deadline,” Dayanand told TOI.

The depot, once completed, would markedly alter the local economic landscape, he added. “Local industries involved in foreign trade are among those that will benefit the most from the container depot. We will side tracks running into the depot, state-of-the-art warehousing facilities and a designated area for trucks to park in. We can have nearly 15 trains running to ports in Mangaluru and Chennai every month once this depot becomes a reality. This will give a fillip to the industrial sector in Mysuru and Nanjangud,” said Dayanand, expressing his gratitude to the district administration, and police for their cooperation in getting the project off the ground.